International Children’s Aid Organizations

A variety of organizations contribute, directly or indirectly, to delivering international aid to children, whether as a response to humanitarian crises, such as wars or disasters, or in the framework of development programs. They include governmental foreign aid agencies, intergovernmental organizations, and international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs). Associated with ideas of relief, assistance, or support, international children’s aid is usually portrayed as an altruistic act, if not as a moral duty, whereby material or intellectual resources flow from the wealthy to the vulnerable and the poor according to needs. This entry reviews research about the history of international children’s aid organizations and examines the main controversies surrounding their work.